


Rose's Room

by SpiralSpace



Series: Rose's Banner [2]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: AU, Rose Quartz is Upper Crust AU, Space Chess, Verbal Abuse, it's like regular chess except that its not at all, oh also this one's a tiny bit creepy have fun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-04
Updated: 2016-09-04
Packaged: 2018-08-12 22:01:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7950808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiralSpace/pseuds/SpiralSpace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Does this thing have any games on it?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rose's Room

**Author's Note:**

> In this AU Rose Quartz was born on Homeworld, and was part of the Gem nobility at some point prior to the rebellion. Pearl was commissioned for WD, but ended up being assigned to Rose. They fight crime (sorry not really).
> 
> I just realized I forgot to write about all of Pearl's daring space adventures in this one and now there's no more room in the timeline! Please assume that they happened between Regifting and this fic.

“Well that’s all of them.” Rose stared at the tower of delicately wrapped packages. “Definitely more than my baggage allowance. What are we going to do with these?”

“We can’t throw them out; they’re gifts. But there’s no reason we can’t leave them here for when we get back.”

“If we get back, you mean. There’s no way the Diamonds will be giving me an assignment back on Homeworld any time this millennium. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re already reassigning this residence.”

“And whose fault is that?” Pearl replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Honestly, arguing for all gems to receive fundamental rights, what COULD you have been thinking.”

Rose snickered. 

Pearl continued, more sincerely. “It is still technically a promotion. “Grand Guardian of Earth.” Even if Earth is just a backwater colony, you have to admit that’s an impressive title.”

“Stop it, you’ll make me blush!”

Pearl smiled. “Speaking of blushing, you still haven’t opened Yellow Diamond’s promotion gift.” She produced a small box. “Judging by the size and weight, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was literally nothing this time. Which is just fine by me, if it means more space in the cargo hold. The trip to Earth will be a lot more comfortable if I don’t have to curl up into a little ball the whole way.”

“For the last time, you are NOT going to be traveling in the cargo hold! Trust me, I’ll get you a seat. Diamond class, I promise.” Rose took the knot holding the package closed and pulled it apart. She reached inside and pulled out a small card. Reading aloud, she said “Voucher of entitlement: 1 Cloud Imaging Chamber, installed at a location of the bearer’s choice"?

“Oh, I’ve heard of that!” Pearl said excitedly. “Yellow Diamond’s brainiacs have finally given up on that whole 'hard light' pipe dream and are trying other methods to make tactile energy constructs. They ended up finding a technique similar to what our bodies do naturally. By applying energy to tether airborne particles (the so-called “cloud”) together in a sheet, one can spontaneously form 2-dimensional surfaces that, combined, give the illusion of a three-dimensional object. It’s still in the prototyping phase, but these chambers are supposed to be a recreational application of the technology, like a holo-room but you can touch the holograms.”

“Solid holograms? That sounds dangerous. Couldn’t somebody be hurt, if the room goes haywire or whatever?”

“They’re very fragile, especially when punctured, so hopefully that won’t be an issue.”

Pearl was thoughtful for a bit. “You know, it never ceases to amaze me how consistently the Diamonds manage to underestimate you. They must really see you as just an airheaded, softhearted clod if they think pushing you aside and handing you a shiny toy is going to solve their problem for good.”

“Well, they’re not all wrong. I - do - like to have fun!”

-

One whirlwind of uprooted lives later, and they were on Earth. The Grand Guardian’s base was impressive indeed. Located in its own pocket dimension for maximum security, the laborers had grumbled initially about having to install complicated equipment in an infinite void for some prissy noble. But of course by the end of the project they were all completely enamored by the lovable pink gem.

Now that the cloud room was complete, it was of course time to try it out. Rose and Pearl had just entered the room, together with the chief engineer, a Carnelian, to walk them through powering it on.

“Now, I can’t say I’m all that sure, cuz I’ve never started one of these up on accounts of one’s pretty much never existed before, but it seems ta be real simple.” She gestured to a shiny red orb at the back of the empty chamber. “Your Grandness has gotta touch that thing, and the Pearls gotta stand somewhere else so the attunement doesn’t get messed up, and I gotta flip the switch while you’re both doing that.”

“Attunement?” asked Rose.

“Ya, like this things supposed to make holograms, right? Let’s say you want a picture of a fountain. Well the thing about rooms, they don’t get out and see the world much so it’s won’t know what the schist (ah, pardon my tongue maam) you’re talking about. The workaround here is that it’s going to read your mind. I know, sounds weird but don’t worry, the system’ll treat your thoughts real secure-like. And cause every mind’s wired all different (even in the same gem class, believe it or not!) well it needs to be calibrated all special to yours. And you just have to be near it! Useta be, to set up a neurolink you’d have a…”

This Carnelian really loved to listen to herself talk. Well, she certainly also enjoyed that that Rose was pretending to be interested, Pearl thought. Probably actually was interested, though Pearl wasn’t sure she was keeping up with the tech. A lecture on the limits of neurolinking segued into comparing the technique to the simple object databases used by older holorooms, but eventually the switch got flipped.

A pink mist filled the room. Rose ooohed.

“Seems good so far. Now it’s time for some simple tests. Rose, please think about a green light, and tell the room to make a green light.”

“Room, make a green light.”

A spotlight of lime-coloured light appeared.

“Great, now think about a red couch, and ask for a red couch.”

She did. A plush red couch appeared.

Carnelian poked it. Her finger sunk into the soft material. “Hmm, I think that’s what its supposed to feel like. It’s solid anyway. Passed. And last, I want you to think about a green light, buuuuut ask for a blue couch.”

Rose did. The red couch turned blue. 

“Thrifty.” Carnelian remarked. “Pretty much impossible not to think of a blue couch right after somebody says ‘blue couch’,” she explained. “That test is to make sure the room can filter out irrelevant thoughts. But it looks like everything’s working. I should get the crew on the move. Just call us if you need anything! And uh, if you have a work order. Because our supervisor would be. Real disappointed. If we came here. Without one of those. Yeah.” The Carnelian was visibly blushing as she hustled her way out, putting great effort into not making eye contact with either of them.

“I think she had a thing for you.” Pearl remarked.

“I think I have a thing for this room. Isn’t it pretty?” 

Rose fell over into the mass of semi-solid clouds which had by now filled much of the room, hiding the walls and ceiling. Pearl looked around. She felt like she was being watched.

-

Rose had been in the cloud room for about a quarter cycle today, Pearl knew. As it turned out, the base “happened” to have been built without an office or office console. Probably a direct order from the diamonds, that. Yet another less-than-veiled insult, aimed at Rose’s competence and maturity. However, the cloud room could load and execute most file types, so Rose had taken to doing her work in it. But if Pearl knew her, and she did, Rose had definitely lost track of time and would be starting to stymie from overwork right about now. So she gathered up several of Rose’s favourite games (a space-chess board, a quanta deck and their splargball rackets) and opened the servant’s access to the cloud room.

Walking inside, she saw Rose busily fiddling away at some datamap overlaid on a replica of the earth. However, when Pearl got closer the ground suddenly started to warp. The globe was pierced as large monoliths erupted from the clouds beneath. Pearls first instinct was to protect Rose but she stopped in confusion when she recognized what she was seeing. The objects were giant space-chess pieces.

“Oh, you’re right room. I should take a break.” Rose waved at her confused comrade. “Hey Pearl, want to play space-chess?” she hollered.

Pearl discreetly deposited her items behind a convenient cloud, and joined the game. The giant pieces were a fun and novel twist, but they could sometimes be a bit cumbersome, and once in a while they almost seemed tugging in a direction other than where she wanted to put them. Always towards a legal but suboptimal move, which struck her as odd. But she would never go easy playing against Rose Quartz. Not that she would need to, with space-chess. Rose might have trouble with technology sometimes, but she was probably the most brilliant strategist in the empire, and it translated well. However by trying her hardest, Pearl did manage to drag the game out a bit, which was something to be proud of.

-

Rose was spending a lot of time in the cloud room now. It still gave Pearl the creeps, but at least the technology brought Rose happiness. On this particular day, Pearl was helping her move the rest of her archives onto the cloud room computers.

“Have you seen the latest survey data?” Pearl asked as she handed Rose yet another storage device. “If that information is correct… well, if the soil has that kind of potential then this place could be on the map soon.”

“I’d hate to be those surveyors if it’s not,” she responded. “The only thing that’d change the Authority’s opinion faster than giving them an army is not actually delivering it. Oh, speaking of which, I missed a couple files on my personal pad earlier. Could you get it out of the shuttle?”

“Gladly.”

Pearl turned and made towards the door, via the circuitous route that the room’s strange topology demanded. She was most of the way out where she heard the barest whisper, a faint but familiar voice on the edge of her senses and yet at the same time almost from within her head.

_you’re helping to replace yourself_

She looked around. Rose was already out of view behind a cloudbank; there was nobody in sight. So who was…

_she never thought you were special_

Her eyes widened. The room. It’s this awful room!

_she doesn’t need you anymore_

What did it know? Everything, a voice that actually was inside her said. It knew everything about Rose. Like she never could. Pearl walked faster, trying to control her suddenly elevated breathing as she focused on the escape in front of her.

_and she never wanted you_

Pearl was running outright by the time she made it through the door. She was a mess; it took her three tries to find the close button and lock the damned thing.

-

Pearl did her best to avoid the cloud room after that. Rose, however, only grew more attached to the contraption. This time, she hadn’t been out or sent Pearl a message in almost 8 days. Which meant Pearl’s need to see her was about ready to overpower her fear of… things she didn’t want to think about. Taking a deep breath, she unlocked the door. Inside Rose was at the globe again. There was some sort of simulation running. Rose was saying something. “…Ecological consequences…”? That was about all Pearl could make out. But beside her was

NO

Beside her was Pearl. The doppelganger’s gaze were pointed directly at the newcomer, not so much staring at as piercing her, twin lances aimed with malice at her soul. The real Pearl must have made a sound, because Rose turned then as well, and gasped. 

Pearl bolted, what else was there to do?

-

By the time Rose caught up to her, Pearl had worked open an access panel and was about to go at the room’s central processor with a blowtorch. Obviously, she was crying.

“Pearl!” she yelled.

She dropped the torch. “Don’t pretend you care! We’re both just replaceable to you!”

“Pearl, I didn’t know that wasn’t…” She stopped, realizing that might not be the right thing to say.

 _She couldn’t even tell us apart!_ Pearl thought.

“Well why don’t you just regift me then! I can’t read your mind. I can’t fetch you something before you know you want it. The two of you would probably be much happier together!”

Rose looked unfathomably sad at that. “Is that really what you think? Pearl, look at me. There’s no way that thing could ever replace you. It’s a computer, it did what it did because literally the only thing it thinks about is what I want. It tried to be you because it wanted to bring me the same joy you do. And it was willing to change everything about itself to be you, but it still would have failed eventually. Do you know why?”

Pearl was sobbing slightly less now. Rose took that as a signal to continue.

“Because -you’re- you. You’re Pearl. You care about more than one thing, often at the same time. And you actually care about me, not just -how I feel-! Those two are very different! Just please. Know that I will always value you. Nothing about a person is replaceable, and nothing about my Pearl ever fails to be extraordinary.”

Rose knelt down, and waited for Pearl to look at her. Pearl rushed forward into a hug, pouring herself into the the reassuring presence of the Gem's larger form, reminding herself what was real. The waterworks started in earnest. 

Quite a time later, when she seemed quieter Rose carefully rose to her feet.

“So, uh,” she said awkwardly. “I totally get wanting to trash it after that but there are some high-priority documents I should probably back up first. Would you mind holding off a few minutes?”

“No, you’re right.” Pearl warbled, wiping a final tear on her arm. She was already lifting the panel back into place. “It’s just a, a thing. Nothing worth bothering ourselves with, right?”

-

Rose tried to only use the cloud room when necessary after that. She worked some favours with a certain supervisor and managed to get a proper office. Carnelian insisted on being the one to build it.

Pearl eventually managed to convince herself that the voice had been all in her head.

**Author's Note:**

> I've always felt pretty strongly that Onion is not the creepiest Steven Universe character. No, the creepiest is the malfunctioning, overly attached AI that lives in the back of Steven's house. And most people don't even think of them as a character!
> 
> This is kind of like the intermission of the Rose's Banner series. It's just really important to me that Rose and Pearl got as much time together under normal, not-an-infinite-war circumstances as possible. It's part of the reason for this AU actually. It lets us extend the cuddly times back to before Gems even landed on Earth.


End file.
